Trunk-handle.



No. 670,492. Patentad Mar. 26, I901 W. B. GOULD.

TRUNK HANDLE.

(Application filed Jan. 10, 1901.)

(No Model.)

1 NITE'D STATES ATENT FFICE,

WILLIAM GOULD, or SOUTH ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

TRUNK-HANDLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 670,492, dated March26, 1901.

Application filed January '10, 1901. $erial No. 42,727. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. GOULD, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of South Orange,in the county of Essex and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrunk-Handles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to trunk-handles.

The invention seeks to provide a trunk-handle capable of collapsing orlying close against the trunk when not in use, of being pulled out awayfrom the trunk when desired for use, and one that may be grasped whenthe trunk is to be lifted without subjecting the hand to being squeezedagainst the trunk and injured.

The invention consists of the features of construction hereinafter setforth.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and inwhich like reference-numerals designate the same parts in the severalviews, Figure l is a plan view of a trunk-handle embodying the inventionin the preferred form. Fig. 2 is a top view of-the same, partly insection and showing in full lines the handle pulled out as for use andshowing in dotted lines the handle lying close to the trunk, as in itsother or collapsed position. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are plan views, partly insection, each showing one end of a modification.

Referring now more particularly to the specific construction shown inthe drawings and first to that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, 1 and 2 are theboxes or brackets, firmly secured to the trunk 3 by screws or othersuitable means and by means of which the grip 4 is fastened to thetrunk. The grip 4 may be made of any suitable material, but it ispreferably stiff and in its best form is made of sheet metal andsubstantially flat, as shown. The ends of the grip are fastened to thebrackets 1 and 2 by means of links flexibly connected to the bracketsand flexibly connected to the ends of the grip. By means of theseflexibly-connected links the grip may lie close against the trunk, asshown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, or may be pulled out when it is to begrasped, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2. It will be noticed from Fig.2 that when the grip is pushed in against the trunk it lies between thebrackets l and 2, an end of the grip and the corresponding bracket andlink being so connected that at least two of the parts named are adaptedto telescope together to permit the handle to collapse, whereby the gripwhen not in use may sink between the brackets and the grip is protectedby the brackets from in jury, and also that the handle thus enables thetrunk to take up less space, which is an advantage of considerableimportance when trunks are shipped in quantities to .purchasers. It willalso be noted that when the grip is pulled out it affordsample room forthe hand to enter between thegrip and the trunk. The links, moreover,prevent the ends of the grip from turning sidewise'.

rangements of the flexibly-connected links.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the links are in the form of rings 5 and 6, which, asshown, may be square. The ends of the grip have tongues 7 and 8 bentaround the inner sides of the tongues, and thus the links are flexiblyconnected and pivotally connected to the ends of the grip. The brackets1 and 2 are preferably made of sheet metal and have tongues 9 and 10,which pass through the rings 5and 6 and by means of which the rings areflexibly connected to the brackets. The tongues 9 and 10 preferably aresaw toothed along their edge, so that these teeth may be driven into thetrunk, as shown-on the right in Fig. 2, to more firmly hold the tonguesagainst yielding to any strain. The rings 5 and 6 are provided on theirinner ends with lugs 11 and 12, which limit the pivotal movement of therings on the tongues 7 and 8, and thus serve to prevent lengthwisemovement of the grip. If desired, a lug for the same purpose might bearranged on the inner end of the link, or any other means may beemployed to accomplish the purpose. When the grip is pushed inward, therings move outward and telescope into the brackets l and 2. The inneredges of the rings which contact with the trunk are generally rounded toafford a free outward movement of the rings.

In Fig. 3 the bracket 13 is closed on its inner'side except for the slot14:, which extends into the top of the bracket a slight distance. Thisinner side of the bracket affords stops 15 and 16 for the shoulders 17and 18 on the lie substantially flat against the trunk, so that Thedrawings show several diiferent ar- I rings, so that the rings can turnin these link 19, which extend out through the slot 14, and is pivotallyconnected to the grip 4 by having its end loosely surround the steel pin20, secured to the grip. In this case the link and bracket only have atelescopic connection. \Vhen the grip is pulled out from the trunk, thelink 19 moves out from its bracket and turns up into the position of thering 5. A lug 21 on t-helink 19 serves the same purpose as the lug 11 onthe ring 5. i

In Fig. 4 the bracket 22 is in the form of a U-shaped loop, and a link19 is employed which has a telescopic connection with the bracket. Thevertical sides 23 and 24 of the bracket form stops for the link and areof such extent or height as to permit the link to tilt upward into aninclined position when the grip is pulled out.

In Fig. 5 the grip 4 is flexibly connected to the bracket 13 by means ofa link 25, so connected as to be capable of longitudinal and telescopicmovement both in the bracket 13 and in the grip 4. The link 25 hasshoulders 26 and 27, arranged to abut the stops 15 and 16 of the bracketwhen the link moves outward through the slot 14:. The end of the griphas a slot 28, through which the link plays freely, and the ends 29 and30 of the grip form stops for the shoulders 31 and 32 of the link.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends of the grip; andtwo links flexibly connected to the ends of the grip and flexiblyconnected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and the correspondingbracket and link being so connected that at least two of the parts namedare adapted to telescope together to permit the handle to collapse,whereby the grip when not in use may sink between the brackets and liesubstantially flat against the trunk, substantially as described.

2. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight stiff grip; two bracket-s,arranged beyond the ends of the grip;and two links flexibly connected to the ends of the grip and flexiblyconnected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and the correspondingbracket and link being so connected that at least two of the parts namedare adapted to telescope together to permit the handle to collapse,whereby the grip when not in use may sink between the brackets and liesubstantially flat against the trunk, substantially as described.

3. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight stiff metal grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends of thegrip; and two links flexibly connected to the ends of the grip andflexibly connected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and thecorresponding bracket and link being so connected that at least two ofthe parts named are adapted to telescope together to permit the handleto collapse, whereby the grip when not in use may sink between thebrackets and lie substantially flat against 1 he trunk, substantially asdescribed.

4:. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, asubstantially straight; grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends ofthe grip; and two links pivotally connected to the ends of the grip andflexibly connected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and thecorresponding bracket and link being so connected that at least two ofthe parts named are adapted to telescope together to permit the handleto collapse, whereby the grip when not in use may sink between thebrackets and lie substantially flat against the trunk, substantially asdescribed.

5. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight stilt metal grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends of thegrip; and two links pivotally connected to the ends of the grip andflexibly connected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and thecorresponding bracket and link being so connected that at least two ofthe parts named are adapted to telescope together to permit the handleto collapse, whereby the grip when not in use may sink between thebrackets and lie substantially flat against the trunk, substantially asdescribed.

6. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends of the grip; andtwo rings flexibly connected to the ends of the grip and flexiblyconnected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and the correspondingbracket and ring being so connected that at least two of the parts namedare adapted to telescope together to permit the handle to collapse,whereby the grip when not in use may sink between the brackets and liesubstantially flat against the trunk, substantially as described.

7. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight stiff grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends of the grip;and two rings flexibly connected to the ends of thegrip and flexiblyconnected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and the correspondingbracket and ring being so connected that at least two of the parts namedare adapted to telescope together to permit the handle to collapse,whereby the grip when not in use may sink between the brackets and liesubstantially flat against the trunk, substantially as described.

8. A collapsible trunk-handle comprising in combination, a substantiallystraight stiff metal grip; two brackets, arranged beyond the ends of thegrip; and two rings flexibly connected to the ends of the grip andflexibly connected to the said brackets, an end of the grip and thecorresponding bracket and ring being so connected that at least two ofthe parts named are adapted to telescope together to permit the handleto collapse, whereby the grip when not in use may sink between thebrackets and lie substantially flat against the trunk, substantially asdescribed.

9. A trunk-handle comprising in combination a grip; two rings, pivotallyconnected to the ends of the grip; and two brackets, one for each end ofthe grip and each having a tongue engaging a ring on the grip so as topermit endwise play of the ring, and each bracket having also recessesat the sides of its tongue to receive the ring.

10. A trunk-handle comprisingin combination a grip; two rings pivotallyconnected to the ends of the grip and each having a lug on the side nextthe grip to limit the bending of the joint formed by the grip and ring;and two brackets, one for each end of the grip and each having a tongueengaging a ring on the grip so as to permit endwise play of the ring,and each bracket having also recesses at the sides of its tongue toreceive the ring.

11. A trunk-handle comprising in combination a stiff metal grip; tworings pivotally connected to the ends of the grip and each having a ingon the side next the grip to limit the bending of the joint formed bythe grip and ring; and two brackets, one for each end of the grip, andeach having a tongue engaging a ring on the grip so as to permit endwiseplay of the ring, and each bracket having also recesses at the sides ofits tongue to receive the ring.

In testimony whereof I name to this specification in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM B. GOULD.

Witnesses:

NICHOLAS M. GooDLE'rT, J12, EDWIN SEGAR.

have signed my 35

